Tepper: No, it wasn't part of the plan at all. We didn't really have a plan. Of course, when she was recording the album was a period when Diesel Only was very inactive, wasn't really doing anything. I mean, I continued to keep a presence; we did have the website up and continued to advertise in No Depression. But we had never done an album by an individual artist, and least of all, did I really want that album to be my wife's album? You didn't want any kind of appearance of...whatever.

Nepotism.

Tepper: Yeah. So we were very sensitive about that. I was probably more sensitive--Laura was actually into it from years ago. We've been together throughout the whole Diesel Only life span, so she was around everything that happened initially and she always wanted to make a single or, whatever, be on a compilation. But she wasn't ready and she hadn't gotten to that point artistically. But she learned a lot from the whole experience. So what happened was when Francis McDonald from Shoeshine wanted to launch his Spit & Polish [imprint] and really encouraged her to finish the album, it was great because I didn't have anything to do with it. I stayed out of the recording of the album for the most part and it was done in her own time; there was no pressure on her. But when it came time to finish the record, he helped get the art together and the whole package together. The package that we have out now is pretty much identical to the [Spit & Polish] release.

I had a question here about the choice of cover songs. It's a blend of amazing originals--like "Queen of the Coast," for example--and covers. So you didn't have any input into which songs were covered?

There are amazing choices on there. "Two Seconds" by The Volebeats has always been one of my favorites.

Tepper: That was a real gem.

And she does a real heart-piercing rendition of it.

Tepper: You've got to give credit to Laura. That's where her DJ-ing experience [at WFMU] has really helped her. And "Two Seconds," she tells a story that's kind of cute about singing along to the record in the [radio station] before she ever decided to cut it. A lot of those songs were songs that she had been performing in New York for the last two years. And then there's a batch of them that were recorded later to finish the album that she had never performed out, like "Do You Ever Think of Me" and "Pile of Woe."

Those artists [whose songs she covered] are mostly New York artists, except for The Volebeats, correct?

Tepper: That's pretty much correct, yeah.

Speaking of the success of the album: With all the accolades and buzz, do you find yourself a lot busier these days, a beehive of activity?

Tepper: Yeah, it's pretty cool. You never know who's calling. Every day you get some weird e-mail. You never know--some guy with a crazy website wants to talk to you (laughs)!

(Laughs) Exactly. You never know who's going to pop up.

Tepper: We're doing something cool today, actually. This has been kind of a busy week--she taped a World Café on Monday down in Philadelphia, and then today she's doing an interview with Anthony DeCurtis. He's got this thing called the A-List on Getmusic, so that is a filmed interview that is put up there. That is pretty cool because obviously a lot of the artists that Anthony covers are much more established.

Yeah, I'm familiar with it. That's great.

Tepper: We definitely found that we've been really happy with the press response that we've had, but we also kind of have a jaded, kind of cynical attitude too, because we know a lot of people with great press and no record sales. But I don't think I've ever experienced the kind of impact one review can have the way the Rolling Stone review has. It changed the tide for us.

Tepper: Absolutely, that means so much more coming from him--and the fact that it so well-written. So that really changed things. Coming into this year we didn't know, you know: Was the record over? Is it going to pick up a little bit? Now it's really like a whole new beginning and we're trying to get the word out.

Are there any releases on the horizon for Diesel Only?

Tepper: As a matter of fact, yeah. I've got a couple of things up my sleeve. I guess I'll tell you about one of them. The next release we'll actually be setting up in a few months is a solo album by [New York roots rock veteran] Joe Flood, who wrote "Pile of Woe" [which is on Laura Cantrell's album] and was also Mumbo Gumbo. And it's produced by Eric Ambel.

Oh, great!

Tepper: It's finished. We have the recording done. We just need to put it together.

Is it safe to say--and this may be slipping into generalizations--that the Laura Cantrell album sort of opened the door for more singer-songwriter albums from Diesel Only?

Tepper: Well, let's see what happens, but it opened the door for the next one.

Right! Fair enough. (Laughter)

Tepper: But I think what you're getting at--in terms of musical direction--it's fair, because a lot of people have a different idea about Diesel Only, depending upon how much they know about the history of the label or how much they know about me and my musical taste. To a lot of people it's kind of a jokey, truck-driving thing, and we get demos all the time from, you know, some punk rock band in the Midwest that's recorded a bunch of truck driving songs--I'm not going to name any names. With Laura's record getting this kind of acclaim, it really ups the ante and you want to put out something that has artistic merit and quality. And I think with Joe [Flood], I really couldn't be any prouder of it. I really like it.

I can't wait to hear it.

Tepper: There's definitely a more mature, John Hiatt/The Band-Levon [Helm] kind of vibe to it. But anyone that has known Joe--and a lot of us have known him for a long, long time--he was always just a musician's musician. (Laughs) There's a clichè for you.

Well, hey, sometimes clichés are clichés for a reason.

Tepper: No, I'm glad you're familiar with him.

Well, I really appreciate you talking to me, Jeremy, and once again, congratulations.

Tepper: Hey, not a problem. I'm glad you're familiar with the stuff and I appreciate you getting the word out.

On the web:
Diesel Only Records

Inside Earpollution:
Laura Cantrell Not the Tremblin' Kind album review